Welcome

Last year's trip to Costa Rica showed us that education can, and should, be a life-altering experience. This year, a largely new group of students, have decided to learn about and travel to Puerto Rico. With this new topic and destination in mind, we have developed a year-long interdisciplinary class that is based on the same three core principles:

1) Travel to expand students' horizons
2) An explicit connection between the classroom and real world
3) The use of sweat equity for students to see that their efforts can make a difference

During the early fall, the curriculum was largely focused on developing the 21st Century Skills of problem solving, critical thinking, decision-making, and collaboration. This was initially done using group challenges in the classroom, but then became vitally important once we started raking lawns. In addition to being our major fundraiser, this hard work put students in positions that required group problem solving, as well as perseverance and responsibility – traits that we all know are central to changing the trajectory of their lives.

During the winter and spring, each student will be developing an independent research project on a chosen aspect of Puerto Rico. We hope that you will keep checking back as we share our learning, growth and adventures.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Settling Titus

So I finally got Titus into the classroom... He has been doing great with his heat lamp and seems to be a happy spider. I am so glad that I have 10" tweezers because this guy is quite fiesty! I went to grab his water bowl with my tongs and he attacked them. He also went into a threat pose when I put the water back in to "warn" the water bowl that he may attack. When they go into a threat pose they raise their first pair of legs which makes them look bigger. This usually precedes a bit or flicking of urticating hairs (Small irratating hairs on their abdomen that they can flick into an enemy's face) or a bite. Although he is fiesty I feel safe with him... I don't think I will ever handle him or even put my hand in his cage move stuff around though =P Anyways I love this little guy and will post more picture soon!

-Andi
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